Why Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh are keys to the Phillies’ making a big jump in 2023

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Most of the players had retreated to the clubhouse. It beat the alternative. On the field in Houston, on that Saturday night in November, the Astros were celebrating a freshly clinched World Series championship, and well, who among the vanquished Phillies really needed to see that?

But Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh lingered. They stood on the top step of the dugout, leaned on the padded railing, and stared out at the delirious party breaking out all around them.

“You never want to be on that side of it,” Stott said. “We want to be out there doing the celebrating.”

Five months later, less than two weeks before the dawn of a new season, the Phillies believe they can take that final step. They have a club-record $250 million-ish payroll, a roster loaded with All-Stars, and a quiet confidence that has radiated through their spring training camp.

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Like every team, the Phillies’ fortunes hinge on random factors, notably health. But the biggest variable within their control that may swing the pendulum from a mid-80s win total to a division crown is the continued development of a trio of young everyday players: Stott at second base, Marsh in center field, and Alec Bohm at third base.

And if you think that’s placing too much pressure on them, take it up with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

“We have three young players that basically play every day that can make a difference of us being an 87-win club and a much better club in Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh,” Dombrowski said. “I think those three have a chance to continue to improve.”

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The Phillies picked Bohm and Stott out of college in the first round in back-to-back drafts in 2018 and 2019; Marsh got drafted out of high school by the Angels in 2016 and was acquired midway through last season in a deadline trade for touted catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Bohm, 26, got to the majors in 2020; Marsh and Stott, both 25, made their debuts in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Each has enjoyed modest success and endured early-career struggle. Bohm was demoted to triple A in 2021 and dangled in trade conversations last spring. Marsh has dealt with injuries and positional platoons. Stott went 4-for-30 with 10 strikeouts to begin his major league career.

The odds are against all three taking a step forward this season. Player development is rarely linear. Regression is common. But Stott, Marsh, and Bohm combined for 2.9 wins above replacement last year, reason for the Phillies to believe in them not only as $750,000 counterweights to the five $20 million-plus-per-year players at the other end of the payroll spectrum but also as positive contributors to the everyday lineup.

“I expect them to be that,” manager Rob Thomson said. “You see it in their play in spring training already. They’re swinging the bats, they’re playing good on defense. They’re becoming complete players.”

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A few days ago, between swings in the batting cage and grounders on the half-field, Bohm was asked to compare this spring training with last year’s.

“It’s calmer,” he said. “For sure.”

Last spring, Bohm wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the roster. Once he made the team, playing time wasn’t automatic. His struggles were well-documented. He made three errors April 11 and got benched.

But no player benefited more from the managerial change from Joe Girardi to Thomson. After taking over in June, Thomson stuck with Bohm at third base. Soon after, he moved Bohm to the No. 3 spot in the batting order. By the end of the summer, Thomson was telling everyone that he never saw a player improve as much within one season.

It was all about confidence. Bohm never lacked talent, and team officials always praised his work ethic. But once he acquiesced to the idea that he needed to “fix things,” as he puts it, at the plate and in the field, he put his full faith in hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson to help him.

“I was out there in a game trying to make adjustments and taking things that I was working on out to the field,” Bohm said. “We’re not fixing things any more. Now it’s more preparing and getting better. I’m doing the right things now as opposed to trying to learn to play the game the right way.”

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Bohm’s physical shape is as impressive as his mentality. At 6-foot-5, he’s always been a towering presence. But it’s apparent that he’s stronger than ever after putting on 10 pounds in the offseason. Maybe his home run total will rise proportionally. Last year, he hit a career-high 13 homers and slugged .398, 17th among 22 third basemen who qualified for the batting title.

Looking for a pick to click? Teammates say Bohm is a good bet.

“That dude rakes, man,” Marsh said. “You can say Stott and I are on the same mini-trajectory — similar in age, similar in time up here. But Bohmer’s got his thing going on. Don’t get it twisted.”

Marsh’s trademarks are his bushy beard and long, wet hair. But at the plate, his signature shortcomings show up in two numbers: a 34.5% strikeout rate, tied for the fourth-highest in baseball since 2021 among hitters with at least 500 plate appearances, and a .519 on-base-plus-slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers.

Charlie Manuel likes to tell hitters to “know thyself.” Seven months after joining the Phillies, Marsh thinks he better understands the root of his struggles at the plate.

“A lot of times in years past, I would mis-hit balls and be like, ‘Oh, that’s the swing,’ when a lot of times it’s not,” Marsh said. “It’s more, ‘Were you supposed to swing at that pitch? Did you swing at the right time? Did you put your A-swing on it?’ It’s knowing yourself, staying within your strengths, and trying to work on those weaknesses as much as you can.”

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If, in fact, Marsh has the first two things figured out, his ability to do the third will determine his viability as an everyday player.

On Marsh’s first day with the Phillies, Long pulled him into the batting cage and showed him video of his at-bats. Then, he widened Marsh’s stance to get him to use his legs more and shortened his stride to improve his timing. They continued working together throughout the winter in Arizona.

Marsh said he feels like a different hitter from his time with the Angels.

“In a lot of ways, yeah,” he said. “Just a completely different mindset, a completely different approach, damn near a completely different swing.”

Will it work? Check back. But this much is clear: The Phillies will give Marsh the opportunity. For the first time since he broke in with the Angels, he will have the chance to play against left-handed pitchers as well as righties.

“We’ve put a lot of work in on the hitting side, the analytics side, to just try to benefit that left-on-left matchup as best as possible,” Marsh said. “It’s been a grind, but it’s been a lot of fun. You’ve got to treat them just like a right-hander. They’ve got to throw it over the plate, too, right? So, we’ll whack it.”

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In the last 12 months, Stott made an opening-day roster, got sent back to triple A, and started Game 1 of the World Series. He bounced from third base to shortstop to second base and back to short before moving to second base full-time after the Phillies signed Trea Turner.

But whatever they throw at Stott, the Phillies never worry about his handling it.

“To me, Bryson is Bryson,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “Bryson’s so even-keeled. We know the talent is there. If you just let him go play, he kind of figures it out.”

Maybe it’s because Stott grew up around Bryce Harper in Las Vegas. Maybe it’s just how he’s wired. He credits the examples set by Harper and last year by teammates J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber. He said his balanced perspective and calm demeanor come from the loss of his childhood best friend, Cooper Ricciardi, who died six years ago of cancer.

Whatever the case, Stott’s rookie year was characterized by clutch hits that belied an overall .234/.295/.358 slash line. From his game-winning homer in June against the Angels to his go-ahead three-run shot against tough Braves lefty A.J. Minter in July and his RBI double to cap a nine-pitch at-bat against Atlanta’s Spencer Strider in Game 3 of the divisional series, Stott had a knack for delivering in the moment.

Winning players tend to do that.

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Stott concedes that he remains vulnerable to high fastballs. He saw plenty early in the season until he made an adjustment. When he slumped late in the year, pitchers took advantage again.

“Just closing those holes in your swing is what you need to always work on,” Stott said.

Surely it helps to have two other young players with similar learning curves. The range of outcomes for the Phillies’ season may be connected to how well Bohm, Marsh, and Stott navigate the turns.

“The three of us are really close,” Stott said. “Bohm and I just kicked it off the second we met each other, just [talking about] what to expect through the minor leagues. And then Marsh came over and jelled right away with us. They’re two of the best teammates you could ask for. Being as close as we are I think helps not only us but everybody else, too.”

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